What's in a name? For Philip and Martha, a lot, because their's were turbulent times of sectarianism and religious Reformation.
For a century, England had flouted Papal authority, dissolving monasteries, confiscating church property and neglecting the poor.
In response, Catholic leadership encouraged France and Spain to invade England while the Inquisition tested the faith of all Europeans.

So even though Philip and Martha were actually English subjects by birth, it seems they took precautions anyway. Anglicize the name, pioneer a town someplace safe,
lose the accent, get to know their neighbors, become pillars of society and marry the children off to the best prospects available.
Speaking or writing in French, or using a French-sounding name was a liability in the Massachusetts Bay Colony of 1700.

APPENDIX C
How Our Family Name Came To Be Cody

By the Hopkinton records of the surname of our immigrant ancestor,
Philip, we know that his name there was always written without the “le” which
commonly appears in the Beverly records of it. To account for his coming
thus to discard the use of this syllable with his name we need first to recall
the fact elsewhere presented that by its nature as the French definitive
word it was not regarded by him as an essential part of his surname.
Nevertheless since its use with his surname had been inherited, why should
he come to discard it? An answer seems readily to be found as we take

— 30 —

into account the fact that scarcely could the entirely English-speaking residents
of Beverly consider this “le” of Philip’s pronunciation and spelling of
his name as being other than the first syllable of it. And plainly, so to
consider it must make Philip’s name a three-syllable one instead of the
two-syllable name indifferently qualified by the French definitive “le”(l) as he
had inherited it. The only escape from having his name thus transformed by
the English conception of the “le” was plainly to discard its use and to
pronounce his name only in the two syllables of its distinctive part. That
within a few years after becoming a resident of Beverly Philip had seriously
contemplated doing this seems indicated by the first two church records(2)
concerning him, where as above noted his name was written without the “le”.
While as above suggested, this omission(3) seems not to have been authorized
by Philip, yet it reasonably indicates that he had discussed with the minister-recorder
of this church his intention to do this at some convenient time. By
the circumstances(4) of Philip’s life during the early years at Beverly, his
having to learn a new language, and his being often away from home by
virtue of his calling as seafaring, scarcely could be without causing confusion
for himself and family, ask those who had come to know him as Legody to
change to the two-syllable Gody; and with the passing of time and so with
more people knowing him as Legody the difficulty of making this change
must have been increased. However, quite likely he from time to time
discussed with his growing sons his interest to make this change; especially
might he have been led to do this since (as above noted) in the baptism record
of the first four of the children their name had been written without the “le”(5).
Thus long before the family discarded the “le” the children may reasonably
have entertained the idea that this change would eventually be made. Also
as above suggested, Philip seems early to have contemplated moving from
Beverly to some place more favorable for developing the sizeable farm(6)
he desired to possess; and in this anticipated change of residence he would
naturally foresee the opportune time to make the desired change in his
name. Thus in having his name recorded at Hopkinton without the French
definitive “le” Philip was doubtless realizing a long cherished desire that the
distinctive part of his surname should not be submerged by the English
conception of the “le” as being the first syllable of a three-syllable name.
That Philip upon discarding the use of the “le” with his name at Hopkinton
thereupon had it initialed “C” instead of “G”, the letter which initialed the
distinctive part of his name as he had inherited it, reasonably seems the indirect
result of the fact, above noted, that “C” was the letter in the baptism records
of his children(7). For since two of the four children baptized at the same
time were of school age at the time of their baptism(8), it may reasonably
be assumed that the Beverly school master (who became a communicant of
this church at about the date(9) of this baptism) sought for the “correct”
spelling of their surname by consulting the church records of it; and finding
there the “C” initialing(10) of it, and needing to take into account the “le”
of the children’s pronunciation of their name, he could scarcely do otherwise
than record their name as Lecody(11), naturally then, would the children come
to use “C” in the spelling of their surname(12). With the difference in
pronunciation between Legody and Lecody not particularly noticeable, the
children’s use of “C” in the spelling of their name may reasonably have caused
but little comment from their parents. But, since names differently initialed

— 31 —

are different names, a choice between ”G” and “C” plainly needed to be made
when the syllable “le” was discarded, if name relationship be maintained. In
view of his children’s accustomed use of “C”, but more especially of the far
more important fact that “C” was the letter used in the records of their
baptism, scarcely could Philip do otherwise than turn to “C” when having his
name recorded at Hopkinton where “le” was no longer to be written with it.
Thus the land at Hopkinton which was to become his children’s inheritance
was recorded with Philip’s name spelled(13) Cody, instead of the spelling
Gody(14) of his inherited name.

TEXTUAL NOTES TO APPENDIX C

Evidence of this elsewhere presented.

Made six years after buying a home at Beverly.

Arbitrarily written by the then recorder who was also minister of the
church, see above for consideration and evidence of this.

Elsewhere presented.

See records of the Beverly church of that time.

As suggested by his purchase of a piece of land in vicinity of Beverly,
as above presented.

At first arbitrarily written and later a compromise spelling—see
presented.

As shown by Beverly record above quoted.

See the record of this in the Beverly church records of that time.

As above quoted.

See above for evidence that the family commonly used the “le” while
residents of Beverly.

As evidenced that the children commonly used the “C” spelling of their
name during the years at Beverly, see two records entered in the Beverly
town-book some years before the family left Beverly, one of date
registering the intentions of marriage of John, the eldest son (then
21 years of age) and the other a list of the six children of Philip
Martha by given name and birthdate, probably of date 1715—in both
these town records the name is written Lecody.

Though in some of the Hopkinton records the most important of
is his will there was an “a” inserted, making it Coady. For the why of
we can only venture a guess.

Evidence that Philip continued the “g” spelling of his name at Beverly
until his property there had been sold we have in two deeds, one for
sale of his Beverly home three years after the Hopkinton record when
the “le” discarded and the other five years later; in both of these deeds
as above quoted, his name was written Gody.